The race for the Heisman Trophy became quite chaotic based on this past weekend. Actually, it’s now a one-man race, but the one man in the race could lose based on something he did off the field. It will be very interesting to see how Jameis Winston’s potential legal issues could affect him for the remainder of the season, because those appear to be the only things that will prevent him from being the second straight redshirt freshman to win the prestigious award. If those problems do cost him the award, we’ve got an entirely new group ready to step into the discussion.1. Jameis Winston - Florida StateWinston put up good numbers in another first half-only performance, but it was against Idaho so does anyone actually care? The award is now his to lose and he’ll have an opportunity to seal the deal with another dominant performance against Florida. However, as I mentioned in the intro, the biggest question surrounding the Florida State quarterback is whether or not criminal charges will be filed against him regarding the allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman.2. Jordan Lynch - Northern IllinoisI didn’t think Jordan Lynch was a legitimate candidate for the Heisman Trophy, but then yesterday happened and nearly every other player in the race had a terrible performance. Johnny Manziel, Bryce Petty and Marcus Mariota were all disappointing, which opened the door for Lynch. He leads the nation in rushing yards by a quarterback and is the main reason Northern Illinois is 11-0 and still in contention for a second consecutive trip to a BCS bowl.3. Andre Williams - Boston College172, 166, 295, 339, 263. Those are Andre Williams’ rushing totals for the last five games. The dude already has 2,073 yards and 16 touchdowns and he still has another game to play! And it’s against Syracuse, so he’s capable of putting up another 300-yard performance. He doesn’t get much attention because he plays for Boston College, but Williams has been one of the most dominant players in the country this season and he’s put the team on his back down the stretch.

4. A.J. McCarron - AlabamaThis is stupid. People want A.J. McCarron to win the Heisman Trophy because you have to take into account that he could potentially lead Alabama to three straight national championships? How about we look at all the players Alabama has sent to the NFL over the past three years? How about we consider the fact that Alabama’s teams are typically built around a power running game and dominant defense? How about we factor in that McCarron isn’t even one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC this season? He’s a great fit for Alabama. He’s not deserving of the Heisman Trophy.

It looked like Jameis Winston was putting himself in a position to run away with the 2013 Heisman Trophy, but all that may have changed in the past few weeks because of developments off the field. Winston is now being investigated for an alleged sexual assault from a few months ago - the timing of this entire thing seems very bizarre. Although the Florida State quarterback could be entirely innocent, the public perception is something that could influence Heisman voters. And it may open the door for a couple other candidates.

Jameis Winston - Florida StateWinston was flawless yet again for the Seminoles in a blowout win. He completed 19-of-21 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns in a 59-3 victory over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome and then sat out the entire second half, which has become a recurring theme for him this season. It will likely be more of the same when Florida State takes on a pitiful Idaho team this Saturday. The biggest threat to Winston’s Heisman chances remain his potential legal issues.Johnny Manziel - Texas A&MIt seemed unbelievable at the start of the season to think Johnny Manziel had a realistic shot to repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner, but the stage is setting up for him to win the award again. Manziel has carried Texas A&M this season and will now have two marquee games to finish the year and make a strong case as the best player in the country. He faces LSU this week and then Missouri in the season finale, and strong performances in both games might be enough for him to overtake Jameis Winston.Bryce Petty - BaylorBryce Petty is the trendy pick receiving lots of attention because of Baylor’s incredible success this season. He’s been the catalyst in the Baylor offense and is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in college football. Petty played well in Baylor’s big win over Oklahoma and, like Manziel, has big games against Oklahoma State and Texas still remaining on the schedule. As long as Petty keeps Baylor in the BCS Championship discussion, he’ll stay in the Heisman Trophy discussion.

Because of the length of a college football season, there are some weekends where there really isn’t much change in the Heisman Trophy race. This past weekend fell into that category. People are starting to talk about the Heisman more because we’re nearing the end of the season, but it’s still about the same names that have been mentioned for the past few weeks. It will be interesting to see if any of these names change as we head down the stretch.1. Jameis WinstonJameis Winston didn’t put up big numbers last Saturday against Wake Forest, but he could have sat out the entire game and the Seminoles still wouldn’t have had any trouble. Instead, Winston played for a half and helped put Florida State ahead 42-0 by halftime. This was the type of dominant performance we used to see from the Noles in the 90s. And in looking at the rest of the FSU schedule, there might not be anything standing in the way of Winston and the Heisman Trophy.

2. Johnny ManzielThe buzz around Johnny Manziel is continuing to grow, and I think many people are now making the argument that he’s the most valuable player in the country. There’s some truth to that. With Manziel, Texas A&M is probably a Top 10 team. Without him, the Aggies might not even be good enough to reach a bowl game. He’s been better this year than last year, but it could be that people hold his off-the-field actions against him.3. A.J. McCarronI have a tough time knowing what to make of Heisman argument for A.J. McCarron. It’s very impressive that he’s got a great chance to lead the Crimson Tide to three straight national championships, and he’s played very well in big games, but I still don’t know if that’s what the Heisman is all about. It’s not like Alabama necessarily needs him to play well in order to win. Nick Saban could rely on his defense and running game and still have plenty of success. McCarron is in the race because the media will play it up, but I’m not sure he’s a legitimate candidate.

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From Ballparks to BBQ is a blog that focuses on food, sports, and travel. Whether it's a restaurant review, game preview, or what to do in a city, I'm here to offer my thoughts and suggestions. Learn more >

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